Caged
by Damnthenamedoesntfit
Summary: There was no hope for their world. So they sent her to the next. (Fem!Neji)


The allied forces were on the verge of destruction. There was no such things as clans or villages, and forbidden and secret techniques became common knowledge. There was no such thing as secrecy between shinobi. If another clan's techniques would save your life, then pride was thrown away and you accepted it. With the exception of kekkei genkai users, everyone shared clan techniques. The Nara weren't the only shadow users, the Yamanaka weren't the only mind walkers and the other clans followed their lead.

Despite all the hope that Naruto gave them, there was nothing they could do but watch when Madara claimed the Kyuubi. The Hachibi followed soon after. Madara had finally collected all the bijuu, and was on his way to reviving Kaguya. The allied forces could only watch as their world started to crumble. One by one, their friends began to fall.

"It's no use," Shikamaru whispered tiredly. Six of the Konoha eleven were dead, and Sasuke was killed by his brother to stop his revenge against Konoha. Itachi committed seppuku the next day.

The other five survivors gathered around their tactician. "Madara and Obito already have their hands on all the time travel scrolls. No matter what we do – even if we do win – they'll just go back and do it all again. Our world is doomed."

"So what do we do? Just stand here and let them have their way?" Lee asked, his previous youthfulness mellowed out after Tenten and Gai's death.

"I'm afraid that's all we _can_ do," Sakura said, running her hands over her pale face. As the last of Team seven, she took none of her teammates' (and sensei's) deaths well.

"Our world might be doomed," Shikamaru interjected, "But the other ones aren't."

Neji narrowed her eyes at the Nara, "What are you getting at Shika?"

The shadow user sighed, "What you need to know, is that the universe has hundreds if not thousands of worlds. If one destroys itself, the next one in the chain will follow in the same pattern unless an outside interference occurs. Same with the next and the next. Unless we want the entire universe to end itself, we have to 'jump' to the next one."

"We're not heroes," Kiba snorted, still bitter about Akamaru's passing along with rest of his team. "Why do _we_ have to save the next world? And how do _you_ know about this universe crap?"

"Naruto would have wanted to save as many people as possible." The Nara tilted his head towards the empty space next to him. "And _he_ told me." Four pairs of eyes zeroed in on the presence that was rapidly growing bigger. Several of them stepped into battle stances as a glowing man appeared. He was old, wearing white robes decorated in tomoes, with grey hair, a long beard, and peculiar horns on his head. The man held a staff, and had familiar purple eyes.

"Rinnegan," Sakura breathed.

"My name is Otsutsuki Hagoromo," He said. "I have already told the Nara the consequences of this world's destruction. I trust that he has already shared the information."

"Who are you?" Kiba snarled, bad memories of those cursed eyes haunting him since his partner's death.

Sakura reached over and slapped the back of the Inuzuka's head. "Baka! That's the Rikudou Sennin!"

"If he's the Rikudou Sennin, then couldn't he just wave his hand and Madara would be dead?! If he's so powerful, then why are we losing this war in the first place?!" Kiba growled.

"Because the child of the prophecy is dead."

The five shinobi whirled around to face the legend. "And who was the child of the prophecy?" Lee asked, already having a suspicion on who it was.

"The one who passed not too long ago. His name was Uzumaki Naruto."

A dark look passed on all of their faces. The person that they put all their hopes into, the one who was supposed to become the next Hokage…

"The reason that you need to save the other worlds, is because the balance is destroyed. The rest of the universe is unstable," Hagoromo stated.

"Do you really expect us to go to each and every world and get rid of other people's problems?" Lee asked incredulously.

Hagoromo shook his head. "No, just the next one in the chain. If that world is stabilised, then the rest will balance itself. You could compare it to a domino effect. When one collapses, the others will follow suit. If one is strong enough to avoid being destroyed, the others behind it are safe."

"Why are we the ones that need to take responsibility?" Neji asked.

Rinnegan eyes locked onto her. "Because our world is the one that is causing the domino effect." He turned back to the other shinobi.

"I can let you through to the next world…but," He eyed each of them carefully, "I can only guarantee that one of you will make it."

There was a moment of silence before Shikamaru broke it. "Save Neji then."

"What?!" She spluttered, "Save Shikamaru! You're the smartest one here, you'll know what to do more than me!"

Shikamaru just gave her a small smile, "And you're the strongest among us. You're the only one with a strong will. I trust you."

"B-but!" Neji turned to the rest of her friends. "What about them?! They're strong too!"

Sakura gave her a tired smirk, "Neji, all I want to do is return to the rest of Team seven. I don't have the will to pull through."

"Same here," Kiba muttered, Lee nodding as well. Neji saw their resolve, and she could do nothing as they grabbed her hands and gentle tugged her towards an emotionless Hagoromo. His hands flashed through signs, and when he was done, swiped his hand in the air. His fingers dragged open a blinding white space. "My chakra will protect you when we travel through the first barriers between dimensions. Go forth without fear."

"Don't worry," Shikamaru reassured her. "We'll make sure that you get to the other side." The others made sounds of confirmation. Neji was led through the endless white space, her friends' hands gently gripping her own, and Hagoromo's chakra wrapped firmly around her.

"Kiba!" She called worried as the surface of his skin started to disperse into dust, his body unprotected by Hagoromo's chakra. His body wasn't strong enough to pass through the dimensions without protection.

The Inuzuka just gave a sad chuckle as his body dissolved. "It's okay Neji. I'll be able to see _them_ again."

 ** _Thank you for being my comrade…_**

And he was gone.

 _Three hands gripped her own._

Sakura was the next to go. As they walked, her pink hair started to fade. No words were exchanged between the two, but Sakura smiled at her, green eyes shining. Neji understood the wordless message, her own lavender eyes tearing up. The last member of Team seven faded into nothing.

 ** _Thank you for being my friend…_**

Sakura was gone.

 _Two hands._

Lee's hands were still warm when the rest of his body began to scatter into dust.

"Lee," Neji whispered, her grip in his hands tightening. A shadow of what he used to be shone through his last youthful smile, and Neji's first tears trailed down her face. She had not cried since Hinata's death, several months ago.

"The spring time of youth is starting again Neji. I'll see Gai-sensei and Tenten soon. We'll be waiting for you." He pulled her into a one armed hug. "We'll see each other again." Neji began to cry as she buried her face in his chest. Lee's body couldn't handle being exposed to the dimension barriers, and he disappeared, his body dispersing into dust.

 ** _Thank you for being my teammate…_**

And Neji became the last living member of Team nine.

 _One hand._

Shikamaru tugged her along through the empty white space, the surface of his skin slowly disintegrating.

"Shika."

One moment she was walking with him, the next she was wrapped in his arms, a passionate kiss enveloping her lips. Neji wrapped her arms around him, responding to the kiss.

"It doesn't matter what you do, I'll always love you," He murmured against her lips. "It doesn't matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you in the pure world." He wiped away her tears and kissed her one last time, and Neji clung onto him desperately as his body continued to dissolve.

 _"I love you."_

And Shikamaru was gone.

 ** _Thank you for being my lover…_**

Neji never felt so broken.

"Child, we are almost there," Hagoromo voice murmured to the grieving girl. Neji said nothing as the space before her began to glow, light enveloping her form. When she opened her eyes she was standing in a forest, a sight for sore eyes. The last time she saw a forest was when Konoha was destroyed. Hagoromo's chakra dispersed from around her body, and the man himself stood before her.

"I'm sorry that I cannot help you anymore," He said, and Neji realised that he was starting to dissolve as well.

"You're dying too?" She asked, wiping the tear stains on her face, eyes still red from crying.

Hagoromo nodded, wisps of his hair turning to dust. "I used my chakra to protect you, so there was nothing to protect myself. Humans were not meant to pass through the dimension barrier." He gave her a bitter sweet smile, dust eating away his skin. "Trust your instincts in this world. It's currently in the Golden Age of the pirates, and the powers in this world are very different from chakra."

He placed a dissolving hand on her shoulder. "Good luck child. The fate of the universe depends on you."

And the great Rikudou Sennin disappeared.

* * *

 _It's been a long day without you, my friend_  
 _And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again_  
 _We've come a long way from where we began_  
 _Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again_  
 _When I see you again_

 **WIZ KHALIFA**

 **Charlie Puth**

* * *

 **Tell me what you think in a review. Its shows that you care :)**


End file.
